UT Physicist And Team Study Quantum Computing; IBM Announces First Commercial Service

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A University of Tennessee physicist and colleagues developed a quantum machine learning algorithm which is able to handle infinite dimensions. This algorithm is able to work with continuous variables, with an infinite number of possible values on a closed interval, instead of the usual discrete variables used, which contains only a finite number of values.

Quantum computing is the study of theoretical computation systems that use quantum mechanical phenomena like superposition and entanglement to perform operations on data. Quantum computers are different from binary digital electronic computers since the latter only uses data that is either a zero or one, while the former uses quantum bits (qubits) which can be in superpositions of states.

The researchers, led by Hoi-Kwan Lau, along with University of Tennessee physicist George Siopsis, have found that photonics can be used to perform machine learning tasks on a quantum computer, Phys.org reported. This new technology would exceed the speed of any conventional computer.

Quantum machine learning also provides advantages like in lower energy requirements, due to its ability to store more information per qubit - with very low cost per qubit compared to other technologies we have now.

Majority of the quantum machine learning algorithms that have been developed currently work only with problems involving discrete variables. The study has been published in the journal "Physical Review Letters."

According to TIME, quantum computing can provide practical advantages to aviation and space industries and even politics. It can lead to safer planes with new jet software that is currently too complex for classical computers.

Quantum computers are expected to analyze the massive amount of data by telescopes and search for Earth-like planets. It can also be used in politics to sort through several marketing information in order to best understand individual voter preferences.

Meanwhile, IBM has announced the world's first commercial universal quantum-computing service named the IBM Q, TechXplore noted. The software is expected to help programmers to learn a new way of coding which can result in more software applications that seem impossible today.